Study Shows Married People Are More Likely to Visit the Dentist

Posted on 4/17/2016 by Office

Did you know that your chances of visiting the dentist regularly go up quite a bit once you get married?

According to a survey known as the Gallup-Healthways Wellbeing Index, it's true. This survey looked at about 175,000 adults to see just how much marriage and other factors affected dental health patterns.

What the Statistics Say about Marriage and Dental Visits

As previously noted, 175,000 adults were surveyed, and the results showed that about 64.7% of respondents had been to the dentist in the previous year. Women were considerably more likely than men to have visited the dentist - 67.2% versus 62%.

Marriage was one of the greatest factors when it came to dental visits. At 70.9%, married people were most likely to visit the dentist, compared to only 60.7% of single people. Separated people had the lowest numbers at only 46.6%.

Income and Dental Visits

Another major disparity when it came to the people who visited the dentist was income. In the highest income level of $120,000 or greater, about 82.3% of respondents saw the dentist in the previous year. This was compared to only 42.7% of participants in the lowest income level of under $12,000 per year. For every income level, the numbers dropped.

Other Factors Affecting Dental Visits

Other factors were also shown to affect the number of people visiting the dentist. In terms of ethnic groups, nearly 70% of white and Asian respondents went to the dentist compared to only about 55% of Hispanics and blacks. Additionally, middle aged people were more likely to visit the dentist than either older adults or young adults.

While these statistics can explain who is going to the dentist, the findings shouldn't stop you from visiting the dentist yourself. Contact our office today to set up your upcoming cleaning and evaluation to ensure your teeth are in optimal health.